>> on the brink - fears of a possible invasion in ukraine as the g7 imposes more sanctions against russia. plus, the path to saint hood. hundreds of thousands flock to roam for the canonization of not one, but two popes. on high alert - weather services warning people of violent storms. [ singing ] and shakespeare at 450 years

old. we honour the most recognised playwright in history. good morning to you. welcome to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live in new york city. the rhetoric in the ukrainian crisis stepped up a notch with bold declarations made by kiev lawmakers. the ukrainian prime minister accused moscow of wanting to start world war iii echoed by the deputy foreign minister at the united nations. >> do you fear that the russians are on the verge of an invasion? >> yes, we have the information that we are in danger. that's why we call upon russian authorities to explain for what reasons they keep so many troops along our borders. but those allegations have done little to slow down russian

military drills along the border, prompting u.s. and e.u. officials to impose more sanctions against moscow. mike vick aira is travelling with president obama. >> the g7 put together this statement. the president signed executive orders. the europeans have gone along. this is a unified movement and statement. russia has taken no concrete actions in support of geneva accords reached on thursday. the situation in eastern ukraine has worsened. it has escalated, russia escalated tensions. we heard the president say 40,000 russian troops have been massed on the border. clearly vladimir putin continues to ignore, perhaps thumb his nose at the west, and the continued threats of sanctions. president obama talked about the

calculus that vladimir putin has to keep in mind, alleging that his country is facing dire and significant economic repercussions and damage as a result of what has happened so far. the g7 leaders announced they'll move to impose additional sanctions on russia. these are the targeted sanctions, more of the same of what we have seen. targeted against individuals and entities, falling short of the broad sanctions against sectors of the russian economy. and white house officials tell us that a specific announcement of what the sanction are and who will be targeted will come on monday. >> ukraine says it will continue military operations hoping to force pro-russian rebels out of government buildings. russian you cants have been warned -- you cranes have been warned not to confront those in the east. >> reporter: the only good thing is the russians are calling for

their release. whether a distinction is drawn between the foreigners, a group of four general jps, a dane -- germans, a dane, a pol, a swede, a check republic national and ukrainians, five of whom come from the ukrainian military is important. we don't know the answer, and don't know whether the armed separatists who are doing the detaining will draw the distinction between the different kinds of hostages, prisoners, call them what you will. who they are holding in slovyansk. normal life continues in the center of donetsk. i have been for a long walk around the city center. it's a beautiful weekend morning as you see behind me. when you approach the government buildings, they are heavily barricaded - barbed wire, sapped bags and -- sandbags and separatists are in control of those buildings. everyone else is going about

their business, making their way around the building. that's the pattern i have seen in other cities. when one goes for a long journey along the roads, it's almost surreal. you pass consecutive roadblocks. some are manned by separatists, often masked. you'll drive on a little further and find suddenly the ukrainian army showing their presence. they are often wearing masks. you drive on further and find more separatists. both sides very much present here. >> that was barnaby phillips reporting. in a few minutes we'll hear from regional expert joe henry, telling us why now is the time for n.a.t.o. to step in. breaking news, five collision troops were killed in an n.a.t.o. helicopter crash in southern afghanistan. the cause of the crash is under investigation. there's no indication of whether it was shot or crashed due to mechanical failure or where the

troops were from. two hours ago president obama laned in kuala lumpur, the third leg of his asian tour. his arrival coming 70 days since the malaysian airliner disappeared. he is expected to discuss that in a private meeting. two popular pops in history will -- popes in history will become saint. nick schifrin joins us live from rome. nick, i understand the canonization accused controversy in the catholic community. why is that? >> good morning, morgan. absolutely, there's a big controversy, a debate about an historic day. it will be the first time we will see two popes canonized on the same day. last summer francis said he

would send a message to the church. canonizing pope john ii. to talk about why it is sending a message, i am talking to the man i have trusted for years about all things vatican. what is the message, john, pope francis is sending. >> the message is about the second vatican council. known as vatican ii. it was a revolutionary event in the life of the catholic church. it happened 50 years ago whilst celebrating an anniversary. we see john xxiii who formed the coup, and john ii who implemented the teachings. john xxiii is seen as a liberal pope, a guy who flung open the church. john paul ii is cast as a conservative pope who put limits

on the innovations that came after vatican ii. there has been a lot of bitter debate in the church about what vatican ii meant to do and say. i think by connonizing the two popes together, pope francis is saying that time for division has to end. the church is big and broad enough to declare both menace saints. it's a unifying event. >> let's talk about john paul ii. this is the fastest canonization in the modern history. why has francis and benedict - two men that don't necessarily see eye to eye - why did they rush through john paul's canonization. >> there was the waving of the period for john paul ii. benedict had something to do with that. it reflected not so much the actions of the popes, but the sentiments of the catholic people. john paul ii was the first pope in globalisation, the age of

instant globalisation of the internet. papal travel around the world. for 26.5 years, he was a major figure on the world stage. he left a big impression on billions of people. when he died there was an expectation and a momentum for declaring him a saint. that's hard to stop. people nowadays expect not to wait decades or centuries. i think catholics figured why wait. >> and john 23rd, why wait. francis cut the red tape, reducing the number of miracles required to become a saint. what is francis's connection and why is it important to see john 23rd become a saint. >> pope francis was inspired. both share common things. they came from poor families, they share an tapes for the poor. they have been great commune katers, communicating in simple,

direct language, and both elected at a relatively older age, 76. pope francis shares the essential optimism about john 23rd. he was convinced the world was a good place, not a place to be afraid of if you are a christian. he shares a sense of mercy, that the church has to be mercy and compassion. >> john, author of "the vatican diaries", catholic news service reporter. an historic day tomorrow, something we haven't seen in 2,000 nears. historic indeed. nick schifrin joining us from rome. john paul ii was known for travelling the world, becoming one of the most visible popes in all of history. john xxiii has been lost over time. we look at the man called "the

good pope." . >> reporter: his was a new style of uponivicate. pope john xxiii ran the vatican for many years. >> there were more similar to kings or mop a or empore -- monarchs or emperors, that made him known as "the good pope." >> he was the third of 13 children raised in the italian countryside in lombardi. he gravelled as a vatican -- travelled as a vatican diplomat, reaching out to others. it changed him. john xxiii decided the church needed a new ek mennical council. many thought global debate about the church's future was unnecessary.

>> reporter: the ek u mennical council was known as vatican ii the when asked why he said "we need fresh air." . >> for the first time church leaders came to rome to discuss the church's future. >> for the first time, opened the door to a new series of themes, of issues, and of tax that have made the church able to interact, to survive and thrive. >> another profound change of the the language of the lit ergey. mass cap be celebrated in -- can be celebrated in all languages, not just latin. pope francis is waving the fact that one miracle is attributed to john xxiii. not a problem for the man that

wrote the book "john xxiii." >> there's no doubt that the second miracle would surface. pope francis knew he was not interfering with a procedure, just ex-bed itting something that was going to happen. >> pope john xxiii - in life and death - a saint. . severe weather is expected across the country this weekend. it began yesterday with storm along the central atlantic coast. north carolina and southern virginia were the hardest hit as people scrambled for cover. nine tornados were reported, one touching down. the storms packed winds of up to 64 miles per hour. trees and power lines were knocked down, leaving homes damaged. this as millions brace for severe weather. so for the latest we turn to

meteorologi meteorologist ebony dion for more. i want to take you to the atlantic states. things are quietening down. here is a look at the reports out of the carolinas, along with the hail and wind. heavy rainfall. here is the area. a few areas impacted by tornados. survey teams will be out there surveying the damage so see what has happened there. as we go through the afternoon, it's the middle of the country, the southern plains, mississippi valley. this morning things are quiet. we expect changes as we go through the day, as this storm system winded up here across the south-west, starting to emerge eastwards. as it does. it taps into warm, moist air moving up from the gulf of mexico and with the help of the jet stream, we'll get lift and ipp stability as we go through

the day to spark showers and storms, some strong to severe. main threats, large hills and wind. we can't rule out tornados. a lot will come in as we get into the later part of the afternoon. be on guard. >> heading out on sunday, the threats remaining over the southern plains, shifting east. st. louis in line for weather. around little rock, arkansas, a moderate risk. a better chance of tornados in the second half of the weekend. we are quiet and dry. moisture increasing. we could use it. although we are expecting storms, this is an area across western texas where we are dealing with drought. the rain will be a welcome site. back to the top story - the crisis in ukraine. russia saying it will work to free seven european inspectors taken captive in eat ukraine. they were grabbed by pro-russian

separatists and happened the same day the ukraine's acting prime minister and deputy foreign minister made comments that russia was bent on going to war. meanwhile g7 leaders agreed to imposing more economic sanctions. joining us to discuss the latest development is a fellow at the truman national security projects. mr henning, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> secretary of state john kerry and u.s. officials say they have good information that russia is, in fact, stirring up the unrest in eastern ukraine. what is the end game. how sustainable is this for vladimir putin? >> i think it's important to realise that vladimir putin may have a different strategic objective than the u.s. and european union. it's easy to see they may an inherited a country that is

fragile. that may be what vladimir putin wants. russia does not have a consolidated identity. they are struggling with a post-imperial complex. that manifested throughout the caucuses and central asia with some places. these frozen conflict where russia seeks to destabilize and maintain influence out of some post imperial sense of identity. and doesn't seek or desire a stable secure area. i think in that context it's important to realise what may look undesirable to us. may be exactly what vladimir putin seeks. >> speaking of what he is looking for, secretary of state john kerry says if russia continues to medal with ukraine, it will be an expensive mistake. it seems right. the ratings had been cut to one notch above junk status. president obama is threatening more sanctions. is that enough to stop him?

>> over time, those are - those actions will ex-cert pressure on the economy and the political system inside of russia. how much time that will be, how much damn will be done in the interim, another important component of what vladimir putin appears to want is to essentially isolate russia from the west. it's an important component of what you hear inside of moscow, the idea that russia is too interdependent with the west, to the extent that this forces oligarchs to bring forces home and be dependent on the drank of russia. that buildings loyalty in a way that is dirable. but not sustainable in a global economy. >> do you think fear is spreading in the region. does it send a message that if other nations want land, they can grab it.

what determines which nation, n.a.t.o. or the u.s. will stop? >> it's a terrible precedent. it's not isolated. it's important to look at what russia has done over the last 20 years. look at the report by the penta gop of russian -- pentagon of russian planes going over ukrainian sovereign air space. it's a big deal. that's something russia has down over many years -- done over many year, including the republic of georgia. it's a precedent, but unfortunately it's a long precedent of behaviour and it's one that does require a substantial integrated and coordinated response. i think you see that being tape increasingly -- taken increasingly serious by the west, by n.a.t.o., and the european union. the sanctions are part of the tools available to the west. responding to this, the

positioning of u.s. farr troopers in -- paratroopers in poland and latvia are important. it's a pattern of behaviour that is injurious to u.s. and european interests, but global interests, and this idea that you can go in and break off parts of neighbouring countries is destabilising to the global system, and not in anyone's interests. whether the u.s. and n.a.t.o. go beyond what they have done, i think, remains to be seen. i think there's a new level of seriousness in the west as they adapt to what are really outrageous patterns of behaviour, and outrageous statements by leading world figures. >> a fellow at the truman national security project. thank you for being was. >> thank you. an election campaign rally came to a bloody end in iraq.

a series of bombs went off on friday, killing 30 people, and injuring 40 others. explosions struck as 10,000 people gathered at a stadium in baghdad. a shia group planned to announce candidates for a parliamentary election said to take place wednesday. an offshoot for al qaeda claimed responsibility. ravaged by flooding. doze inns die in afghanistan and thousands left homeless. a connecticut teenager stabbed to death by her classmate. police say it may be because she turned down a prom date. a program rehabilitating pakistani prisoners by introducing them to the arts.

>> good morning, welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live from new york city. we look at the wicked whether with ebony dion, meteorologist. >> we are going to feel the temperatures heating up. at least we'll get a chance to enjoy a spring warm up across the east.

now, we are at 54 in memphis, 46 in chicago. 38 in minneapolis. there are cool spots. i want to take you to dallas, where the heat will be on the rise. highs of 90. much of your day to day will be warm and windy. getting into the evening, that's when the storms will rumble through. highs in the mid to upper '80s, calling down. we look elsewhere across the country, denver to 76. we'll look at the clouds hanging tough there. once that storm system moves into the middle of the country, notice denver, all the way from the 70s to the 50s. a 20 degree drop is expected. speaking of the weather, an earthquake in the south pacific where residents of tonga felt a jolt. there's no reports of damage or injury. the 6.5 quake hit more than 6

miles underwater. tonga is a collection of 170 islands sitting along the ring of fire, the areas around the pacific ocean prone to earthquakes. 180 have been killed in flash floods in afghanistan with villages have been destroyed and homes destroyed. >> reporter: flash floods have turned people's lives upside down in remote parts of north and west. thousands of homes were hit across four prove junss. -- provinces. >> translation: as a result of rain and flood our people suffered lot of destruction. >> people are beginning to pick up the pieces after the floods. they say they still urgently need help. >> translation: our shops and houses have been destroyed because of the floods.

so far we have not received aid from the government. >> the afghan military rescued people from the worst-affected province. the regional police chief found many bodies and expect to find more. >> translation: people took the dead bodies to the hospital. then they were handed over to the families. around seven villages in the area were destroyed by flooding. >> it's the start of spring, usually a wet season. not to the extent seen here in recent days. the disaster relief committee says more than 5,000 people have been displaced, and medicine and drinking water are running out. police say helicopters flew over 1500 to safety. four crew members have been arrested in relation to south

korean ferry disaster bringing the total to 15 - all accused of negligence and failing to help the passengers. the captain told passengers to stay in their rooms. half an hour later an evacuation order was issued, it was too late. many are dead, many children on a high school field trip. 115 are still missing. anger boils over as relatives from the malaysia airlines flight 370 take employees hostage. more than 200 family members held 10 airline workers for 10 hours. they were released. frustrated relatives have been awaiting information. the safe area extended beyond where it was believed to have gone down. coming up, taking aim at the next cause - the nation's largest gun right groups touting the message that the right to own guns is underattack.

>> i'm kath turner in new york. the national rifle association influenced the debate and politician. now a grassroots organization is taking on the powerful gun group. >> it creates a landscape that is not connected to one place. >> where for art thou cake and candles - celebrating shakespeare's birthday.

good morning, welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live from new york city. here are the top stories - kiev says moscow is bent on starting world war iii. russians along the border are on the brink of invasion. it comes amid a kidnapping by pro-russian separatists. the fastest path to saint

hood in recent history, paeps john paul jj and john paul xxiii. the mood sparking celebrations and criticism. plus, millions bracing for another round of spring storms today. they are expected to respond to tornados across the heartland. new orleans and virginia -- north carolina and virginia were hit. several were injured. mahmoud abbas says palestinians will never recognise israel as a jewish state. this was a demand of the middle east peace talks. israelis are angry that leaders agreed on a unity deal, which is considered a terror of the organization by the u.s. and israel. we have this report on mahmoud abbas's speech. >> what was unique to the talks, it's the first time we saw him go into detail as to why he thought the detail, the talks with the israelis were going nowhere.

primarily pointing the finger to binyamin netanyahu, saying that binyamin netanyahu, from the start, was not a viable partner in this, stating that every time that he had put in requests to scene , binyamin netanyahu plied -- secretary of state john kerry, binyamin netanyahu applied that he didn't trust mahmoud abbas. he discussed on what would keep the palestinians in the talks, if it should go beyond the april 29th deadline. the talks have been suspended by israelis in an emergency meeting because they were unhappy about the new pact with hamas and gaza. mahmoud abbas said to go forward with the talks, the israelis have to give them the last batch of prisoners, 30 that they are waiting on to be released. it was discussed last year to have the talks begin between the israelis and the palestinians. the borders of the future palestine states. they must discuss the borders with jerusalem as a capital. and lastly there must be a

freeze on all israeli settlements. in fact, president mahmoud abbas said that from the first block to the last block is occupied land. he does not acknowledge the settlements and wants them to stop. >> it's the nation's largest gathering of gun right activists. tens of thousands gathered for the national rival association adds -- rifle association's meeting. several high-profile republicans addressed the group and reminded members that civil liberties was under attack, and none more so in danger than the right to bear arms. >> our nation is engaged in an open date about the meaning of the second amendment. at every turn politicians and some in the media and entertainment are carrying out nothing less than an orchestrated attempt not simply to erode our right to bear arms, but citying mattize gun owners and ownership.

>> the center for responsive politician says the n.r.a. donated more than $20 million to political candidates since 1990. in 2012, the watch light group sunlight foundation said more than half members received donations from the n.r.a. the main antagonist is former new york city mayor leyte, using $50 -- leyte using $ -- bloomberg, using $50 million of his own money. >> reporter: it's an all-too familiar story, a gunman opening fire in a crowded public place. innocent people are killed. shock then anger. there are calls for stricter gun laws. gun owners and lobbyist push back. a new group is trying to break the cycle. every town has been launched with a $50 million don't ace from former new york mayor michael leyte -- bloomberg.

>> we are the only country in the world with this problem. >> every town's strategy is to bypass politicians and focus on veeters and -- voters and memberships. it hopes to bin by going state to state. it's targetting women and mothers. >> for a long time the gun lobby did a good job of making a jokal minority afraid their guns will be taken away. as mothers, we are afraid our children will be taken away. that emotion, being the caretaker of american children i think will win the day. >> the murder of 20 young school children in connecticut shocked the world. 20-year-old adam lanza shot dead 27 people, including his mother. >> reporter: after the sandy hook shooting polls showed 90% of americans supported background checks. the u.s. senate rejected legislation that would have done that, many believe one

organization was to blame. bill o'reilly -- the national rifle association claims to have millions of members. in 2012 is spent $3 million lobbying. the president said it would fight all reform. richard is a former gun lobbyists and former director of n.r.a. >> the people in the country want to be in control and not let the government tich tat what the people shall and shall not do. >> both the n.r.a. and every up to are counting on members to turn out a single issue voter in future elections. at 10 days oldery town must make up plenty of grouped in order to make an grackt. georgia signed a gun law ha that is critics howling and opponents applaud youing. the gunns -- applauding.

it will allow people carrying gun to take them into certain zones, including a church, government buildings, pubs. joining us from atlanta to discuss the safe carry protection act is mr jerry henry, executive director of georgia carry.org behind a law lobbying for it to get past congress. thank you for joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> you said the law restores the right to carry and protect ourselves anywhere we go. how exactly does it keep people safe? >> well, it keeps me safe from the bad guys. anyone that wants to attack me or my family, i can defend myself without having to call 911 and waiting, hoping and praying that they get there in time to protect me. >> what do you say to the critics that called the well the most extreme gun law in the u.s., saying it gives people who

have previously committed crimes the ability to now carry guns? >> well, i say they need to read the bill. they have not read the bill and do not know what provisions are in it. every time we pass a bill. this is the third we passed in the last seven years, we get the same emotional outcry about blood in the streets. this will be the most terrible thing, and every year nothing happens. the only thing that happens is the crime rate decreases. >> you say that, you mings provisions, but georgia carry, you say it's a watered down version. you mentioned iterations. what more were you hoping to see? >> well, we are after having a second amendment, meaning what it says. we did not get campus carry, and other provisions that we did not get. there were items in this bill

not as clarified as they should and we believe churches should be treated as private property. the state is interfering with them. we think churches should be like my private property, your private property with the right to control the property and tell you whether or not they can do anything that is legal on other private property. you mentioned campus carry. can you tell us more about that. you hoped people would have the right to carry guns in college classrooms. >> we don't believe anyone over the age of 21 that have had background checks by the f.b.i., gbi should lose their right when they step across a property line to go to college. you are talking about a small minority because the majority are 18-21. you are talking about those over 21 qualified to carry anywhere else in the state of georgia.

>> you mentioned losing rights. is it your hope more states implement laws like georgia or it reaches a federal level. >> we would like to see that. our emphasis is on georgia, that is where we spend time and effort trying to improve our lives down here. and it - other states, if they want to talk to us, we are happy to do so. our goal is georgia. but then, mr henry, if this reaches a tral level -- federal level, doesn't having a national conceal law compete with the prince of the n.r.a. and the conservative base, the principal of having a decentralized government. >> i didn't say i wanted one of those. i said that we were looking for georgia, and what i offered to help was if some other organisations and other states wanted to know how we did it, what we have done, we are willing to talk about it. i'm not necessarily for a national licence to do anything,

but i do think that i should be able to carry anywhere in the country to protect myself. >> so, mr henry, before we go, what is next? you mention the emotional outcry. when we think about gabby gifford, tony martin, and school killings. how do we carry with the checks to prevent lethal vigilanteism? >> first off the gun is not the problem. the people is the problem. when you figure out how to take violence out of the hearts of men, you figure out the problem. i believe we need a stronger family life and need to do more to bring our children up to praise the sanctity of life, instead of having no feeling for life. >> executive director of the

georgia carry.org. mr henry, thank you for being with us this morning. >> thank you very much for having me. >> police in connecticut are investigating if a 16-year-old girl was killed because she turned down a prom invitation. she was stabbed to death inside of her high school friday morning. some students witnessed the attack as it took place. police arrested a teenage boy and are looking into reports that marr jip declined his -- marr join declined his innovatation to the prom. >> a bright light full of hopes and dreams, with her future at her fingertips. marin should be celebrating at a prom with friends and classmates. instead we are mourning her death. >> police stress this was an isolated incident, and the prom was scheduled to take place last night and has been postponed to an undetermined future date.

protests in washington d.c. against the deportation of immigrants. [ chants ] >> demonstrators gathered chanting "deportation", in spanish, calling on the president to end the practice. the united states has been deporting 4,300 each year. president obama asked for a review. al jazeera is taking you beyond the issue with our series "bordelland." >> migrants claim a spot on the train. for the women this is a last resort. many purchase contraceptive injections, accepting that rape

is an horrific price they may pay for a new life. brenda is preparing to take the train with her 9-year-old daughter. >> reporter: how long have you been in mexico? >> there are a lot of migrants here, primarily men, not many women. as a woman, i want to speak to a woman. we talked. her daughter was beautiful, smiling, bright eyes. are you and your daughter going to take the train? >> why are you leaving? is it bad? family. >> she has a 9-year-old daughter from honduras and will make the journey. the same journey clawed et made, but with a 9-year-old. >> you are about the same age.

she took the same journey and never made it. it makes me sad to know we are looking and you are about to do the same thing that she did. >> as you walk to the desert and you can't take it, will you turp around and come back? . >> i fully understand. you are sacrificing. >> i have been in the desert. i can't see a child walking through. i can't see it. please, if you feel tired, just stop. there are people that can help

you. . >> so you are putting a 9-year-old on a train why she could die and be raped. she can't sleep. what if she dies and her daughter lives. she want the american dream so damn bad. it's not that great. people believe that america is an amazing great country. i love my country, but it's hard work, dedication. nothing is handed to you. >> you can catch "borderland" tomorrow night. people living in poverty in india lose their homes in a fire. flames tore through a new delhi shanty town. several people were injured. police are not sure what caused

the blaze. in the past fires have been sparked by charcoal cooking or short circuits from thousands of illegal power connections. >> the u.n. warps south sudan is on the verge of africa's worst famine since the 1980s. more than half a million are facing starvation. we have this report on the problem of getting food to the areas ta need it most -- that need it most. >> this is the green belt. the county in the south-west. down here the land is fertile and farmers produce a surplus of food. they have a saying here - a hungry man is an angry man. during more than 20 years of still war, the ability to farm was lost by the people of south sudan. with the sps of ng -- assistance of ngos, people have been relearning skills and harvests were up 20% on the 5-year average. >> here, on south sudan's border with uganda and the d.r.c.,

there's no shortage of food. elsewhere people suffer from acute malnutrition. south sudan doesn't produce enough food to feed its population. if it could, the real problem is getting the food to the people that need it. >> in this vast country there are almost no real roads. huge numbers of people are unreachable by land. in desperate times the world food program has no choice but to air drop food. >> it's an expensiveling to do and soap as a last resort -- expensive thing to do and sometimes seen as a last resort. aid workers are concerned if fighting continues, it will mike the situation -- make the situation worse. >> we said from the earlier part of the crisis there's a risk of famine, there's no famine now. it's not about food availability or people who access the food in country. like you saw.

the abundance. people in the east are not able to access that. aid agencies continue to move food around the country, but are restricted by the fighting. if the situation does not change, there are predictions that many could die of hunger and related diseases. >> from macbeth to romeo and juliet - we celebrate the life of william shakespeare, the man behind some of the world's most famous plays.

good morning, welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live in new york city. honouring the most influential playwright, but first a look at the forecast with meteorologist eboni deon. >> we are watching the east coast. we are dealing with rain and drying out.

you can see the drier air on the water vapour imagery. across the south into the south carolinas dealing with rain and storms. the focus shifted to the south-west. here is the area of low pressure that we'll watch, making its way eastward, bringing rain and snow across colorado and nevada. >> thank you. a gaol in pakistan is rehabilitating unmates with arts classes. administrators say the programme helps them cope and deal with their mistakesment critics say gaol should be a punishment, not time for fun. [ ♪ music ]. >> reporter: it may be a song of sorrow, but inmates at the karachi central gaol say this is the happiest part of their day. for one hour every afternoon they gather to sing and play musical instruments, part of a

programme to introduce prisoners to the arts as part of their rehabilitation. mansour has been here for 10 months, awaiting trial for murder. >> what you want is some way to express yourself. it's basically like this, meeting people who are like minded that makes your time more bear ail. >> it's not just music, inmate are taught to draw and paint. some had work dishaed in high -- displayed in high-end art galleries. the aim is to teach prisoners to channel their energies and provide a stage to express their emotions. >> reporter: not everyone supports programs like these. critics say prisoners are not here to enjoy themselves, buts repay their debt to society. >> critics like this man, a well-known artist, who campaigned against the arts and music programme at the karachi central gaol, saying ipp mates are there to do hard time, not

enjoy the arts. conversation. >> translation: i have been to the prison and met the prisoners. they are criminal, and cannot be rehabilitate. the point of gaol is for it to be so bad that when they get out they never want to go back. inmates disagree. saying without his daily music sessions, he would not cope. >> what prison evers want to believe is -- prisoners want to believe is the world at large have not forgotten about them, in return they think about the world and their own mistakes. >> a hopeful perspective from a place that traditionally offers a farrow one -- narrow one. scientists in spain are looking for remains of one of the world's most famous writers. miguel is famous for his book published 400 years ago and buried in a church in the 15th

century. no one knows the spot because the church fell to ruins. scientists will use high-tech ground-penetrating radar agreement, hoping to excavate bones and send them to a lab for analysis. >> speaking of the world's greatest writers, this is the most influential. this weekend the u.k. is his stage as fans of william shakespeare celebrate his 450th birthday. our correspondent reports on how the bard is being remembered. >> reporter: shakespeare wrote that all the world is a stage, and no truer words could be said when it comes to his work. 450 years after his birth, this version of "hamlet" will tour every country in the world. a truly global icon. >> his plays are about everything, like anything. in this play alone, it's domestic drama, it's a political

drama, a philosophical drama. >> william shakespeare birthday is being celebrated in the english town in which he was born. stratford upon avon is proud of its famous son. >> reporter: this is where it began, the bard's birthplace. tourists flock here to immerse themselves in all things shakespeare. >> while his story and stories started here, his works transcended cultures and borders. with shakespeare's plays performed around the world from inside prisons to the great wall of china, and translated into scores of languages. >> he creates this sort of landscape that is not connected to one specific place. so i think anybody from around the world can find something of themselves in his writing. >> nowhere do they feel that connection more than in

stratford. where the wind and the rain only adds to the drama. . >> tourism is big in shakespeare's birth place, generating 15,000 jobs. at the end of our first hour, here is what we are following - fears by ukrainian leaders that putin could be on the brink of invasion. this as members of the g7 impose harsher sanctions. the weather service is warping that weather could spark tornado outbreaks. the catholic church canonizes john paul ii and john paul xxiii. and back from the edge eboni deon has more, our moles -- meteorologist. >> i'll track the weather and have the details. thank you for watching.

i'm morgan radford. stay tune. i'll be back in just a few

ukraine's prime minister is saying russia violated its air space overnight. fears of a full-scale invasion by moscow leaving the two nations on the brink of law. live pictures of the vatican where we see a first - two popes to be canonized. and a pounding from mother nature - all eyes on the sky in

tornados alley. >> he clearly smelt or sensed or whatever he did. he knew something was not right. >> evidence suggesting that dogs have a sixth sense. a woman that says a pooch saved her life. >> do you fear the russians are on the verge of an envision? >> yes, we have information that we are in danger. we call on russian authorities to explain for what reasons they keep so many troops along our border. ukraine's deputy foreign minister saying he fears a full-scale invasion by rush a. western leaders are preparing more sanctions against rush a, coming as moscow says it's working to free detained workers. 13 mem yours of the organization for security and cooperation in europe were kidnapped by pro-russian separatists. u.s. and e.u. leaders are

promising sanctions for military action on the border by russia. kiev lawmakers fear that moscow has positioned itself to evade. barnaby phillips is in donetsk. russia says it will free the o.s.c.e. members. will it help to ease tensions in the region? >> well, russia says it will work for their release. that's good news. what the russian statement did not make clear is whether they were drawing a distinction between the foreigners. the four germans, a poll, a dane, a swede and a czech national and the ukrainian military. we don't know. the armed separatists who are holding them say they are not hostages, and are referring to them as prisoners of war. we had information from the ukrainian side - that is the government side - they say that one of these hostages needs urgent medical attention.

it's not clear how they know that, and we should emphasise that throughout the ukrainian crisis both sides, all sides used propaganda and misinformation. it is a worrying situation for the hostages, prisoners, call them what you will, in the down of slovyansk, under the control of armed separatists, pro-russian gunmen. >> we heard from the ukrainian prime minister. let's listen to what he had to say. >> russian intention is to eliminate ukrainian independence, undermine presidential elections, to topple pro-ukrainian and pro-western government and restore the soviet empire, which is not doable. >> this all goes in line with the extent from the prime minister on friday, when he said that russia was trying to start world war iii. are we beyond a truce in the standoff? >> certainly the talk from the

government or the prime minister is alarming. i think if you came to eastern ukraine you'd see that on the ground it's a strange situation, because for many ordinary people, of course they are deeply concerned about this kind of rhetoric and the military activity by both sides. life goes on pretty much as usual. it's a glorious spring day, a wedding party drove past the hotel. the flowers are all blooming. but if you walked a few blocks up, the government has quarters in the down. it's surrounded by masked gunmen behind barricades and rolls of barbed wire. ordinary people make their way around the building and keep their thoughts to themselves. it's an odd situation for people living through the crisis in eastern ukraine. barnaby phillips reporting live from donetsk. thank you for good evening with us. russia defied calls to

de-escalate the crisis and western leaders say they'll impose new sanctions. patty culhane has the latest from washington. . >> reporter: the obama durings say they have been working the phones and behind the scenes, saying they are pushing officials to goat on board with -- get on board with additional instructions. additional sanctions could come as soon as monday. they are talking about as many as 15 individuals, the u.s. talking about entities close to vladimir putin. the u.s. military, through the pentagon are saying they believe russian aircraft violated air space several times over the last 24 hours, and are not providing specifics or proof. all of this, they say, is meant to send a message to russia that they are prepared to act and are watching. it doesn't have to happen. they have until monday to change their behaviour. >> patty culhane reporting from

washington. >> senior diplomats will hold a meeting on monday to discuss the actions against russia. in a region of moldova, it is pro-russian. many wonder if the kremlin has its sights set on annexing it, like crimea. . >> reporter: the cossack regiment describe themselves as the army of cit, playing a -- christ, playing a decisive role in the civil war. to this day they maintain their combat readiness as they watch the developing neighbouring ukraine. >> translation: cossacks are the patriots and we raise our young in the spirit of patriotism. >> the president insisted his country's future lay in moscow's orbit, but was alarmed about

event unfolding in ukraine. >> translation: it indicates what could be the start of a civil war, when brother attacks brother. it's the worst thing that could happen. moldova and kiev moving to europe. here we are moving in the opposite direction. for stability's sake, and ending conflict. we must respect the opinion of people that live here. >> outside the russian embassy in the capital long queues of people gather to get a passport. theirs are not recognised by other countries. they feel it's the key that will uplock jobs and the future for them. . >> reporter: what happens here next is in moscow's hands. will they recognise it as an independent state or will vladimir putin issue a decree like with crimea, and make it part of the russian federation? work crews were out in force

preparing for the 70th anniversary from the liberation of german and occupation. they saw a threat from the west and salvation from the east. >> we'll follow the developments in ukraine throughout the day. for up to the minute information log on to aljazeera.com 24/7. for more crew members have been arrested in connection with south korea's ferry disaster, bringing the total to 15. all of accused of negligence and failing to help the passengers as the ship went down. at first the captain told passengers to stay in their rooms. it wasn't until later that an evacuation order was issued. it was too late. 187 were confirmed dead. many children on a high school field trip t 115 were missing. taking matters into their own hands.

angry relatives of those missing on flight 370 took airline employees hostage. more than 200 family members held 10 airline members in a hotel room. they were released. relatives are frustrated that they are waiting for new information. the area has been extended. hours ago president obama touched down in kuala lumpur, the first visit by a u.s. head of state in half a century, he was met by malaysia's king and prime minister in a welcome ceremony and will visit the national mosque and give a speech at the university of malaia. a meeting with the prime minister. mike vickera takes a look at the third leg. >> the president woke up in seoul, south korea, for the second day, addressing u.s. forces at the army base, before departing and arriving in

malaysia, becoming the first american president sips lyndon johnson, 50 years ago, to visit the country. looming over the visit, the tragedy the malaysia airlines flight 370. there are other issues on the agenda - trade among them. the president pushing the trans-pacific partnership, opening markets across east and south-east asia, china looming obvious the visit, as it has over the first two legs, and japan and south korea, principally because malaysia is among the countries involved in a territorial dispute with no fewer than six other nations in the region. the president is not likely to bring this up in an obvious way, the human rights situation, the opposition leader has been gaoled twice on what many believe is trumped up charms, there's an epidemic of brutality.

the national security advisor susan rice is upseted it meet with -- expected to meet with opposition leaders. the president continuing his trip around kuala lumpur saturday and sunday. >> malaysia's post office has a special surprise - 25,000 commemorative envelopes on sale marking the presidential tour. as the u.s. shifts much of the military assets into the region, many are looking to strengthen ties. others say president obama is not welcome. >> personally it is good that he's here. at least people can see him, and see we practice a moderate islamic, and there are moderate muslims, and we sit and discuss in a civilized way. >> our message is clear. he is the enemy of islam. he has killed hundreds of

thousands of muslims. he has. muslim are brothers. enemies of muslim are our enemies in general. the coming of president obama to malaysia is not welcome, absolutely. >> many of the country's muslims opposed some aspects of the u.s. foreign policy in the middle east. after multiple meetings with israelis and palestinians and a push for an agreement the u.s. says its optimism has taken a hit. israel suspended negotiations, the unity between palestine authority hamas and fatah. talks are back at square one. the pat said there may come a point were there needs to be a pause and both sides need to look at the alternative. the u.s. has been brokering talks for nine months. he may be history's most prolific playwright.

[ singing ] . >> celebrating 450 years of shakespeare. how oneman's love -- one man's love affair is taking its toll on the bird population. drinking coffee could lessen your risk of a deadly disease. i'll show you what to expect and the warm up in advance of the storms. and looking live at the vatican. not one, bout two popes canon -- but two popes canonized today. a live report from rome after the break. well it's official...

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looking live at the vatican - not one, but two canonized. a live report from rome in a moment. >> welcome back, i'm morgan radford live in new york city. celebrating 450 years of shakespeare in a moment. first, eboni deon, meteorologist is here with the national forecast. >> we'll see a warm-up in store. we are dealing with stormy weather.

fortunately we get the spring warmth in advance of the storm system. it will be felt across the deep south to the southern plains, where we are sitting at 72. we are in the mid 50s. atlanta at 72. as we head to the wet, 40, and 50s. the only exception in phoenix. take a look at the heat building across much of texas as we go through the day to day, even up into oklahoma city. closing in on 90 degrees. we'll be close to that as well as around san antonio. along with the warmth, it will be windy. not the best of days to be out enjoying the warmth. you might want to stay inside. the most warming up. expecting mid 70s, but in addition to that, watch out for wet weather, as we head into the evening. the frontal bounty approaching. bringing the rain to the north-east. by sunday we are drying out. 68 not bad. dropping off into the 50s by.

another dose of cooler air moving in behind the storm system. as we look across the nation. warm temperatures all the way up into parts of the upper midwest, and around the mile-high city. taking advantage of it while you can. we have a storm system brewing that can bring snow into the mountains and cooler textures in the 50s by sunday. making history at the vatican. you are looking at live pictures from the holy city. we don't have them now. on sunday it will be crowded there as catholics come to witness two popular popes in history watching them become saints. john paul ii and john xxiii. they have been formally approved. let's go to nick schifrin, joining us live from roam outside of vatican city. the canonization is sparking debate in the catholic community, what is that about? .

>> reporter: i think the debate is about whether, as you said, why the two popes are good evening canonized. a lot of allies of john paul saying he shouldn't have to share the day and john the xxiii's allies saying he shouldn't share the day with a lot of people that disagreed with him. you ask a lot of people in the square, filling up with programs, all the focus of people i have been speaking to is on john paul ii. he died nine years ago. for the catholic church it's like the blink of an eye. it's the fastest canonization. it satisfied all the requirements and lived his heroic virtue. the he's a role model and performed two miracles. >> flora both doesn't only believe john paul is a saint. she makes him one. this woman has made a shrine to

a man said saved her house. she had an aneurysm. she clutched a magazine, with john paul on the cover. six days after he died. she says he appeared in a vision. >> translation: it filled me with peace, giving me the self-confidence i could recover. >> after that moment she said she recovered. doctors called it a miracle. the catholic church agreed. >> reporter: do you feel he saved your life? >> translation: of course, with john paul ii's intervention. >> over 27 years john paul's intervention transformed the catholic church. he ipp spired a new younger generation. his leadership helped to inspire the movement that led to the fall of the berlin wall and the soviet union. he was a pope of firsts. in jerusalem he prayed at the

western wall and was the first pope to visit a modern synagogue. at age 81, he was the first pope to walk into a mosque. many, including the people in these childhood photographs see things differently. >> this is david. he was sexually abused by father john whitely. this is joel. this is barbara. and this is becky. and becky was sexually abused about this time by the priest in here church in virginia. >> the church admit in the u.s. more than 10,000 people say catholic officials abused them. >> this is tim lennon, rita miller and me - the year before father started sexually abusing me. >> barbara blain runs an abuse survivors network. she was 12 when she said her priest touched her. >> in my mind i was screaming "no, stop, don't do that, don't

touch me, no." but no words came out. i was, like, frozen. in a sense it was look i couldn't - i couldn't even move. and i - i can remember him saying "stop shaking, i'm not going to hurt you." >> she accuses john paul of knowing that in the church abuse was pervasive. a man that conceals sin is no saint, she says. >> unfortunately paep john paul -- pope john paul iu had information and authority to remove sexual predators and protect children. he refused to do that. >> john paul's defenders deny that and blain's voice will be outnumbered on sunday. john paul will be sainted to one of the largest crowds that fill st. peter's square. >> reporter: all of the pilgrims will see an historic first.

pope benedict, until he abdicated will be here. the first time two living popes will celebrate in st. peter's square. >> speaking of that, why combine the two canonizations in one day? >> i think the question is - a lot of people here say john paul ii was a conservative, john xxiii was liberal, progressive. the message being put out is we don't have to divide the church. john xxiii was progressive, bringing the church into the 20th century. john paul ii is seen as enacting some changes, and that is a message that pope francis wants. let's move beyond the demogs that john paul was a progressive, and a conservative. they were part of the same lineage, let's move beyond the

notion of the separation, unite the church and bring it to the 21st century. >> a new message and historic day. nick schifrin joining us live from rome. thank you for being with us. believers on bikes - a group pedalling from poland to rome to watch the connonisation. a priest blessed the bikes before getting on one himself. there is his name stitcheded on the front. the group will join thousands of the faithful expected in st. peter's square on sunday. your morning cup of coffee may help to reduce your risk of type-ii diabetes. according to a harvard study, people that increase their coffee consumption by one cup a day lower their risk by 11%. three cups or more than cut the risk of type-ii by 37%. reachers examined 20 years worth

of data on diet, lifestyle and medical condition. he's one of the greatest writers and definitely the most influential. this weekend the world is his stage as fans of william shakespeare celebrate his 450th birthday. the love of the bard also inspired one man to introduce a bird to the united states. but now they pose a menace. randall pinkston talks to an expert about how a simple idea was bird brained. >> reporter: this is where part of story began. new york central park in 1890, a german immigrant released 60 european starlings, the first to north america as a tribute to william shakespeare. the other part began 300 years england, where william shakespeare placed references to birds, including the bird. >> he loved birds, they are musical. when you think of their songs, it connects you to the human

voice. >> michael is a curator of a shakespeare library. he was a keen observer of nation, shakespeare, and including 50 species in his writings. and liked the starling's ability to mimic speech. the bard mentioned the starlling in one play "henry iv", he said, "i'll get a starling that will mention the name mortimer over and over to the king", he stomped off. >> the descendants of the 50 starl lings number more than 200 million. when they fly in large numbers, their formations like like art in motion. bird watchers and fans of shakespeare might appreciate them, wildlife experts say starlings are a nuisance. >> they are tough. they can kick other birds out of

areas. a lot of species don't want to hang around. unlike larger birds, such as canada gees, bringing down flight 1549 in the hudson river. starlings are smaller, posing a threat to farmers. they are one. species the u.s. department of agriculture tries to control. >> it's not feasible to eliminate them. they pretty much reached their critical mass. >> like shakespeare's classics, the starlings made their mark on america. deadly violence across iraq ahead of a crucial election. >> the enemy is always trying to demoralize us by spreading sectarian hatred to prevent iraqis exercising their democratic right to vote. >> a day in the life of iraqi security forces as they struggle

to secure voters in a nation torn apart by sectarian blood shed. al jazeera meets with a survivor of last week's deadly avalanche on mt everest. nearly half of all inmates in federal prisons are behind bars on drug offenses. we talk to a man on a mission hoping to change the system by setting them free.

good morning, welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live in new york city. half the inmates in federal prin are behind -- prison are behind bars for drug offenses. one man's attempts to set them free - that conversation ahead. first, severe weather is slamming north carolina. people scrambled for cover when golf-ball-sized hail pounded

down. it brought fast-speed winds and tornados. >> the porsche are gone, roof, side -- porch is gone, roof, sidings. i have somewhere to say. >> nine tornados reported, one touched down. the storms packed speeds of 365 miles per hour. trees and homes down, leaving homes damaged. storms are expected in central states this weekend. the big threat is on the plains where fears are sparked in tornado alley. meteorologist eboni deon is here with more. >> survey teaming will survey the damage in the carolinas. that system has cleared out. drying conditions, the area of low pressure lifting to the north-east. the rain across the north-east will wind down before the next round this evening. across the south-west an area of low pressure spinning. it will make its way east. as it does, it will tap into

mexican moisture. all the ingredients coming together to produce a risk of severe weather, stretching from texas to the false. large hail, damaging wind and isolated tornados. that is for today. by sunday everything is a little further east, underneath the warm sector of a cold and warm front. this system will take its time, making its way across the middle of the country. the central u.s. will be a focal point for the storm activity for this weekend. it will go further east. for sunday, little rock, outside dallas fort worth, around the northern areas. it will ramp up into the day on sunday. things are quiet across texas. a line of storms developing around the north-eastern area around tulsa and the areas into

missouri. rain and thunder storms in advance of that system. here is a look at the timing. it will be dry and windy. warm across texas. we are not expecting to see the storms developing until 9 o'clock this evening. everything lifts a little to the north and off to the east of st. louis. by tomorrow you, too, will need to watch out. you can use the rain in texas. the area dealing with drought - it will be on the drier side. not expecting relief from the storms. >> the entire state of anna cavell is experiencing a level -- california is experiencing a level of drought. it's offering little hope to farmers affected. science and technology correspondent jacob ward reports on the drought. >> not only is the entire state under a condition of drought but

25% from where i am is in a case of exceptional drought, which is the worst kind. here in heels bird, known for wine rirks the brim through the center of -- wineries, the bridge through the center of town is exposed and mostly underwater. there's a dam that should be a rushing torent of water. instead it is exposed to the air. there has been a little good news in recent days. until half hour ago, it was absolutely hammering rain. it would require doing that for 30 days, a biblical amount of rain to restore the reference. the state agency giving out water says it will not be able to give out anything, maybe as little of 5% of what it does, scientists worry that there's an ongoing almost permanent

scarring between the wildfires that will be intense, to the collapse of the underground circulatory system that will collapse, if it doesn't fill up with water. >> there's a chance of a miracle. scientists predict another el nino year, a chain of lim abbing tick events. the principle one is a warming of the water in the pacific ocean. the pacific ocean water is about as hot as it gets. it's possible that we go see it as the water is lifted into the atmosphere and deluge the pacific coast. if it happens, it could turn things around. it can have terrible effects on sea life as it pulls nutrients out of the sea. it could be the miracle that california is hoping for.

>> insurge ents are stepping up attacks and are determined to interrupt vot interrupt voting. a series of bombs went off on friday killing 30, injuring 40 others. the explosion struck. 10,000 gathered at a stadium. the group planned to announce candidates. it's set to take place. an off shoot claimed responsibility for the attack. >> meanwhile, with a rock torn apart, security during the elections is crucial. imran khan reports the latest round of attacks left many wondering if the government can secure baghdad not just for the elections, but the long run. >> reporter: this is baghdad command, they are responsible for security. cameras are rarely allowed into

the nerve is center that controls the troops. as the election is closer. the government understands it faces security challenges. >> translation: the enemy is always trying to de moralize us by spreading sectarian hatred to go exercise the democratic right. we believe the stakes were high. we feel we have a concrete plan to guarantee security. checkpoints such as this dot the city. you can find them. they are the most visible sign of the security plan. the soldiers understand the threat they face. >> translation: we are the spear head of the open war on terrorism. we are fighting terrorism on behalf of the region. the war continues with the al qaeda-linked groups and are confident in the plan to secure the elections. >> his confidence is not shared by many.

there are attacks across iraq every day. the damage is clear to see. along with people's frustrations with politicians. >> reporter: according to the united nations over 2,700 died as a result of violence in attacks like these, since the year began. that deprum statistic -- grim statistic will likely have an impact on people, as they visit the polling booths come april 30th. >> this time around there's no u.s. military presence and the last american troops left the country three years ago. more avalanches on mt everest may put a stop to the climbing seep in nepal. sherpas are on strike following the worst avalanche. 16 were killed last week, and the accident shining a spotlight on how little the nepali guides are paid to risk their lives, for a few thousand in a year. we spoke with a survivor of the

deadly accident on the world's highest peak. >> reporter: managing to smile despite losing his friend. speaking exclusively to al jazeera, he considers himself lucky to be alive. he was one of six that survived the disaster on mt everest. he did not want to speak but told me it happened quickly. he's been a guide sips 2008 and started climbing a year ago "my family never wanted me to scale the peak or bee a guide", he told me "when you see the view from the top, it's magical. we lost so many in the incident. i'm giving up. when i'm better, i'll returning to my village to be a farmer" 13 sherpa guides were killed. others are reluctant to return to the state. this sherpa reps mountaineering tour operators. mountaineering is the back bone of an economy.

it can bring in there 26 million. for this to continue we in the tourism association need to address the concerns of the sherpas. >> it's the height of the season in nepal. the optimum time to climb is may. tourism generates millions. when it comes to financial help the government can give to the sherpa guides, his position is clear. >> they do not want to climb. i think it will be diff for us to, you know, provide assistance. it is a huge number of people. >> but the government is taking care of the health care costs of this sherpa and others injured in the avalanche. >> reporter: earlier this week the nepalese government said it would increase the insurance cover for the guides and set up a fund for the families of victims and pay for their children's education. that, after strong criticism

that they generate millions in climbing revenue, but do little for sherpas. they insist anyone can climb the mountains. the only problem - there's no sherpas to guide them up. >> april and may are the popular times to climb to the 29,000-foot summit. panama police sending a mess iping to drug carr -- message to drawing cartels, burning cocaine, marijuana and heroin. it would have had a street value in the millions. it came from antinarcotic operations happening throughout the country. cartels from mexico and south america are using panama as a corridor to smuggle drugs into the united states. the justice department announced on wednesday that federal prisoners serving sentences for nonviolent crimes can apply for clemency.

they can generate many sentences. >> as a society we pay too high a price when ever the system fails to deliver just outcomes to deter and punish crime, to keep us safe and ensure those that pay their debts have a chance to become productive citizens. our expanded clemency application will aid. president obama granted the fewest number of pardons since president eisenhower. the bureau of just showed drug inmates referred 2,700, violent offenders were 8%. the american civil liberties union says 3,000 people are serving life drug sentences for nonviolence crimes. glen martin, founder of just

prisonship. thank you for joining us. do you think the measures go far enough? >> over the last 40 years we spent a trillion dollars, locked up 40 million people and drugs are inexpensive and available as ever in the united states. two-thirds of people exit our criminal justice system go back within three years. total failed policy. it's been 40 years. it's the right time to do something. i appreciate the fact that the attorney-general and the president are stepping up, saying we have a failed war on drugs. does it go far enough. absolutely not. >> why not? >> we have destroyed families, communities. generations of poor people, creating an underclass of citizenship in the united states. the punishment doesn't stop when a person exits the prison system. what does that mean to have 65 million people in the united states to have records on file. it means you need to respond in

a way that matches the destruction that we have created. >> what would that response look like? >> if we watched the data and research, we could have a better sense of what we need to do. the data says you have diminishing returns, and you don't achieve the public safety that you hope for when you lock people up. our criminal justice system historically has been built on emotions and fear and so on. however, now we have a lot of new research that is giving us clear evidence on who poses a rick, and who does not. and while the president has tape the opportunity to revamp the clemency, i argue that he's scraping at the surface. >> even if he's scraping at the surface sounds like you are saying it's a step in the right direction. what are the criteria now? >> the criteria created has to do with folks with 10 years in, a clean disciplinary record. folks who don't have an

expensive -- extensive criminal record, first-time, nolle prosequi violent drug -- nonviolent drug offenders serving 10 years, with some nuance around that. that's great. when you put people into a system that is so bent on punishment, our system is built on punishment. you have a hard time figure youing out how many in the system have stayed out of trouble for 10 years, that's a long time. >> speaking of staying out of the trouble, why drugs, why is it an important issue. republican representative for virginia said why is the obama not targetting white colour criminals. they contribute to recidivism. >> our federal system grew tenfold since 1980. the majority of the growth is around the war on drug. the fact that we have created heavy-haned approach. as opposed to doing what the

evidence tells us, most of the people mutt in prison is a result of being arrested, and would have been better served going into community-based treatment. most go in. most are not engaged in drug treatment on the inside and go back to selling and using drugs. >> this recidivism is a big issue for the critics. what about the critics that say this is undoing the recent drop in crime, and scott burns, the head of the national district attorney's association said prosecutors are worried about people being more likely to commit crimes because laws are too lenient. and no one will cover the cost of rearresting commitments. does that give you reservations? >> it gives me no reservations. they are driven policy decisions. currently what is happening with the heavy-happened war on

drugs - we moved to mandatory minimums across the country in response to drug use and possession, and the outcomes we have gotten are horrible. two-thirds of people go back. if i bought an ipad and i took it to apple and they said "two out of three break", they'd be out of business. our criminal justice system we feed resources at $80 billion per year. >> thank you glen martin. just leadership usa. thank you. >> it was supposed to be the night of a junior prom. it turned into a vigil for a class mate. friend, family gather on the peach in mill ford to remember marr jip sanchez -- marin san shez, stabbed to death. a classmate has been charged with her murder. police are investigating whether he killed her because she declined his invitation for

prom. a teenager went on a stabbing frenzy. charges upgraded against alex hribal. now we are learning that before his slashing spree was stopped he told the vice president that his work was not done, "i have more people to kill", he disarmed him. >> he made a statement like that when caught up with. he wanted to do more than he did. fortunately it came to an end when it did. >> we tried to figure it out. i don't know the mindset of the individual. we'll go through the process of investigation like we have, see if anything else develops that clears things up on everything in the process. >> the investigation continues into what exactly sparked the attack, and two of the victims

remain in the hospital. a radioactive waste dump has been discovered in north dakota. similar waste has been found in large quanties across the state. it's drawing takens to the impact -- attention to the exact of the oil industry where public health officials say businesses are illegally disposing of materials instead of transporting them to approved sites, putting the land and residents at risk. this may be another reason why dogs are man's best friend. they can detect cancer in people by sniffing them. we went to find out how they are trained to sniff out the disease. >> reporter: 3-year-old rain dance, grand champion, or troy as his family calls him, is a pure bred doberman showdog. to his owner he has a greater distinction. >> definitely credit him with

saving my life, no question about it. >> diane's family had a history of breast cancer. she had been given a clean bill of health when troy, a puppy acted strangely. >> he was nuzzling my left side. i thought what is going op. i scratch. because i was allergic, and that's when i found the lump. he was trying to tell me something, he smelt or sensed or whatever he did. he knew something was not right. >> diane had a double massectomy. she's healthy and cancer free. >> god knows what if could have been. >> a woman that detected breast cancer and her dog... . >> there are media reports from local news station ranging from king 5 in washington, wfi scr. and others. so many researchers spent

considerable time in money figuring out why dogs are super sniffers. >> check out techknow tonight - 7:30. that is 4:30 in the west coast. breathing new life into a soon faded fashion icon. >> i really - i felt sad that - i guess i did bad. i did bad, i screwed up. >> designer bett si johnson filing for bankruptcy. today she is back on the catwalk. you'll never guess who bailed her out..

setting a world record in kansas. take a look at this. this is the world's largest water slide and is taller than

niagra falls. that's pretty amazing - to give you some perspective. niagra falls is 167 feet. >> the counter record owner held the record for 12 years, that's from brazil. that's how difficult it is to conduct a water slide of this scale. it's wonderful. >> it is called insane. good morning, welcome back to al jazeera america, i'm morgan radford live in new york. ahead the return of a quirky icon. first, meteorologist eboni deon has a look at the seize weather. >> we are watching a storm system that is starting to take shape across the west. let's look at the water vapour imagery, you can see the counterclockwise flow. the system is out over anna cavell, helping to bring in -- calve fornia, helping to bring in more. rain will develop over the four

corners, high elevations dealing with snow as we get into the overnight areas. the mountains dealing with winter storm warnings in colorado. the same system making its way eastward bringing rain and thunderstorm activity into the southern plains. for now things are fairly quiet across texas. we'll moisten things up. getting moisture in from the pacific, but also a southerly flow bringing it out of the gulf of mexico. warm, moist air fuelling the storms late this evening into tonight and again for sunday. >> thank you so much. the b word - bankruptcy. it's enough to strike fear in a fashion designers heart. not the deprand matery ark bett si johnson. she tells a story of survive val and reinvention. del walters has more. >> reporter: bett si johnson's run way shows are a spectacle.

models strutting down the catwalk in fun, flirty fashion. her outfits making a statement by design. >> as we get more computerized we are more non-existent as a personnel statement. to me clothing is communication. >> the 71-year-old designer has been a fixture in the fashion world for decades with her self-titled line. at its height bett si johnson pulled in about $150 million in sales each year. in 2012 her empire crumbled down. millions in debt, the company filed for bankruptcy. all 63 stores closed. 350 employees let go. >> i felt sad that - i guess i did bad, i did bad, i screwed up. people would make it a point to come over to me and say "i really - there'll never be

another bett si johnson store." . >> what led the fashion icon to failure? >> her stuff didn't change with the times. and the price stayed high. so the women that are the customer, that were the customer at 20 are not necessarily going to be the customer at 40. it was more special, in tune. it hadn't changed. it was overleveraged. too many licensed deals. i don't think it was watching carefully as someone could have been doing. >> johnson may been out of the fashion, but not out of drive. >> i want to work, i couldn't retire. i thought i will never decide enough of what i love doing. >> five months after declaring bankruptcy, bett si johnson

launched a collection. heart career retrospeculative. she is no longer her on boss, answering to steve madderb, shoe tighton. she stayed on as creative director. >> i'm the spirit of the brand. they have to make sure they stay in money - they stay in the money, in business and make good money. so i'm dealing with my favourite category, and that is great prices of stuff for cross-country people. i have to start to wear this. >> and people across the country can find bett si johnson again. this time in department store and online. pink may be her colour, but the business is back in the black. her career and company, like her signature show-ending manoeuvre marked by a tumble, but getting back on its feet. bett si johnson turns 72 in

august. that will do it for this edition of al jazeera news i'm morgan radford, thank you for watching. we leave you with live images from the vatican were not one, but two popes will be elevated to saint hoohood

from the vatican were not one, to sainthooto sainthood